Surface covering for buildings



June 14, 1932. Rv MACLEAN 1,862,627

SURFACE COVERING FOR BUILDINGS Filed Deo. 8, 1930 'Patented dune 14,1932A noemer ruaonnnrc, or FRANKLIN, onto SURFACE COVERING- FORBUELDINGS appncaaon mea. December e, raso. serial no. 500,806.

My invention relates to surface coverings 1 for buildings to render thesides and roofs thereof weatherproof, and includes among its objects andadvantages an improvement especially useful in connection with that typeof covering made up of continuous strips of dimensions materiallygreater horizontally than vertically.

l have illustrated the invention as applied if to the fabrication of acovering for the side walls of buildings of the type carrying surfaceornamentation in imitation of ordinary Y bricks. ln order to completethe eect of real brickwork and give the appearance of l5 solid brickwork at the corners, such strips should be applied so that at themeeting of two walls, one wall will appear to show theside portion of abrick adjacent the dihedral angle between the walls, while the otherwall i" will appear to showh the end portion of the same brick. lnpractice,- however, this has been dicult to achieve, because the stripson each wall tend to lie'in planes at a slight angle to the surface ofthe wall itself sloping downwardly and outwardly, and this incllnationor outward tilting of the portions of a strip that extends around thecorner, tends to cause each portion of the strip to twist the otherportion downwardly out of line with adjacent strips. When both portionsare forced up into line, there is an excess of material at the corner,especially at the top of the strip, and this material gets in the wayand causes unsightly bulging and deforma- 'tion of the outer surface ofthe corner.

In the accompanying drawing: l

Figure 1 is a plan of one form of covering element;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the complementary form ofcovering element;

y Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective of two adjoining walls, showingmy improved covering elements applied thereto;

Figures 4 to 7 inclusive are edge views of covering elements showingvarious forms thereof. l

ln the embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, the coveringelement l0 comprises a simple Hat strip of composition mate- 5 rial, oneside of which is finished withl an asphalt or tar surface. The otherside, which faces outwardly in the finished structure, is provided witha coating of red grits vto form a colored band the thickness of anordinary brick, and extending along the base of said covering element.Substantially the lower third Vof the element is red while the remainderis of a dark color.

The element l() is cut, or kerfed at 12, to leave a triangular notch inits upper edge. o0 The kerf 12 is so positioned relative to the ends ofthe covering element that when the element' is bent to form an L, thepartsl and 16 thereof will be equal to the length and width of anordinary brick respectively.- @e The kei-f 12 extends down from theupper edge of the element to a point just a little above the lower edgeof the next overlapping element in the finished structure. If the kerfis cut before the strip is bent it will assist 7o in locating the linealong lwhich bending should occur.

The element 10 is provided with a reinforcing member 18 in the nature ofa thin flat band of sheet metal extendingv along the lower por- '35 tionof the element. The reinforcing member 18 has teeth 2() struck downtherefrom and 4 embedded in the body of the. element when the tar is hotso as to be firmly united therewith. The extra strength thus providedmore Se than compensates for the weakening of the element by cutting thekerf l2. y

The complementary element 26 illustrated lin Figure 2 has its kerf 28positioned to the right of the middle of the element so that the portion32 at the right is of the same length as the portion 16 at the left ofthe element 10 in Figure 1. Similarly the portion 30 at the left of theelement 26 is of a length equal to the portion 14 of the element 10. Theele- 90 ment 26 is also provided with a reinforcing strip 34 identicalwith the strip 18.

An equal number of elements 10 and 26 suliice to form a completecovering for the immediate corner where two walls meet,

whether the dihedral angle is salient or reentrant.v For a salient angleallthe stripsare bent with theytar surface and reinforcing strips on theirfside of the angle, Aand for a re-entrant angle the side covered withgrit is on the inside of theangle which will be the exposed portion ofthe finished wall.

The elements 10 and 26 at the corners project alternately dierentdistances from the apex of the corner so that the vertical jointsbetween their ends and the abutting straight strips constituting thebody of the wall, will be mis-matched to form a waterproof covering. Thestrips extending across the fiat portions of the wall are arranged inrows 24 in alignment with the corner pieces.

Both the corner pieces and the straight strips are laid to expose allthe red portion of each element and about a quarter of an inch of thedark colored portion above. The narrow dark strip thus exposed affordsavery effective illusion of the plaster` or mortar joints betweenordinary bricks.

That portion of each corner element just below the kerfs is ofsuficient'iexibility to permit the portions of the element on oppositesides of the angle to be twisted into good alignment by deformation ofthe material of the element at the corner, and the kerfs enable thecovered portions of the element to move toward each other in the case ofa salient angle, and away from each other in the case of a re-entrantangle.

In building up a salient angle, the element will be bent as in Figures land 5, and in building up a re-entrant angle, the element will be bentas in Figures 6 and 7 All four forms may be made up from the two formsof fiat element illustrated in Figures l and 2 by simply bending them inopposite directions.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain myinvention that others may, by applying knowledge current at the time ofapplication, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions ofservice.

I claim:

1. A surface covering for buildings composed of flexible roofingmaterial having out.

er surfaces lying at dihedral angles to each other, including strips ofmaterial which extend around the dihedral angle, portions of the stripbeing slit or kei-fed, said kerfs being all positioned at the apex ofthe dihedral angle.

2. A surface covering for buildings composed of iiexible roofingmaterial having outer surfaces lying at dihedral angles to each otherincluding overlapping strips of material certain of which strips extendaround the dihedral angle, the strips extending around the angle beingslit or kerfed down e from the upper edge, said kerfs being allpositioned at the apex of the dihedral angle.

3. A surface covering for the outer surfaces of buildings composed ofexible roofing material having outer surfaces lying at dihedral anglesto each other, including overlapping strips of said material certain ofwhich strips extend around the dihedral angle, the covered portions ofthe strips extending around the angle being slit or kerfed, the kerfs insaid elements being offset from the middle, said kerfs being allpositioned at the apex of the dihedral angle, whereby each elementpresents a greater exposure on one side of the apex of the dihedralangle than on the other.

4.' A surface covering for the outer surfaces of buildings having outersurfaces lying at dihedral angles to eachother, including over lappingstrips of material certain of which strips extend around the dihedralangle, the covered portions of the strips extending around the anglebeing siit or kerfed down from the upper edge, said elements beingrelatively short compared to the unkerfed elements, the kerfs in saidelements being offset from the middle, alternate elements having theirlre-rfs oiiset in opposite directions from the middle, said kerfs beingall positioned at the apex of the dihedral angle,

whereby each element presents a greater exposure on one side of the apexof the dihedral angle than on the other.

5. A surface covering for the outer surfaces of buildings having outersurfaces lying at dihedral angles to each other, including overlappingstrips of material certain of which strips extend around the dihedralangle, the covered portions of the strips extending around the anglebeing slit or kerfed down from the upper edge, the lrerfs in saidelements terminating short of the exposed portions thereof, saidelements being relatively short compared to the unkerfed elements, thekerfs in said elements being offset from the middle, alternate elementshaving their kerfs offset in opposite directions from the middle, saidkerfs being all positioned at the apex of the dihedral angle, wherebyeach element presents a greater exposure on one side of the apex of thedihedral angle than on the other, and the ends of said elementsterminate in different vertical planes to mismatch the joints betweensaid elements and the adjacent strip completing the surface covering.

6. A corner element for roofing comprising a strip of iexible roofingmaterialbentto form a dihedral angle, said strip having a kerfextendingl from one edge part way across said strip, and a reinforcingstrip on said element.

7 A corner element for roofing comprising a strip of flexible roofingmaterial bent to form a dihedral angle, said strip having a kerf at theapex of the dihedral angle, and a reinforcing strip on said element,said reinforcing strip having prongs embedded in the body of theelement. y

8. A corner element for roofing comprising a strip of iiexible roofingmaterial bentto form a dihedral angle, said strip having a kerf at theapexl of the dihedral angle extending from one edge part way across saidstrip9 and a re= inforcing strip extending longitudinally ont saidelement along the unlrered side.

9. A corner element-tor roong comprising a strip ofilexible roofingmaterial bentto forni a dihedral angle, said strip having a lrert at theapex of the dihedral angle extending troni one edge part way across saidstrip, and a metal reinforcing strip extending longitudinally of saidelement along the unkerfed side, said reinforcing strip having prongsenibedded in the body ot the eleinenta 10. A building covering unittermed trein a exible asphaltuin material and adapted to be used as acorner unit in covering a building with asphalt covering units wherebythe aggregate simulates a brick wa, said unit formed with a lowerportion` covered with brick colored grits and an upper portion cov-lered with darker colored grits, a tapered slot formed therein extendingdownwardly from the top and said unit adapted to have an angular bendformed therein along the center line of said slot. l1. ln a surfacecovering tor buildings, a plurality of dem'ble fabricated units, eachunit overlying both sides of a corner ot the building and each upperunit overlying a portion only of the adjacent lower unit whereby eachunit has an outward inclination, and

each unit having a slot in the underlying portion thereof to compensatefor the lesser distance covered by the said underlying portionrelatively to the exposed portion ol each unit.

l2. lin a surface covering :tor a building corner, a plurality ofangular Hexible units of roofing material arranged at an inclinationwith each upper unit overlying a part oit a the next adjacent lowerunit, and each unit having a slot in the upper portion tbereorq topermit toreshortening of this portion with out distortion..

13. A covering unit formed of deble nia terial and adapted to be bentaround either an inside or an outside corner, said unit beingrectangular in shape and having a slot eX= tending 'from an edgeinwardly whereby the upper portion of said unit will be oreshortened inbeing bent around the corner.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto an my si gnature.

. ROBERT MACLEAN.,

